


Awaiting Destiny

by Tarlan



Category: Adventure Inc.
Genre: Deathfic, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-09-10
Updated: 2006-09-10
Packaged: 2017-10-18 16:50:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/191069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Judson visits an old friend in her final hours.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Awaiting Destiny

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Adventure Inc Halloween Challenge -- and as a HAPPY BIRTHDAY wish to Winnie :-)

Mac opened tired eyes and gazed around the familiar room, wondering what had called her from her sleep. She guessed the hour to be very late, perhaps even the small hours of the morning, and yet the room was bathed in the parchment yellow of a full moon that only served to deepen the shadows at the room's edges. The balcony doors were open and soft damask curtains billowed in the warm breeze gliding across the bay. She listened carefully to the sounds of the night, seeking anything out of the ordinary but all seemed as it should be. The tinkling and melodic clanking of rigging against the mast and decks of the many boats berthed outside sung a sweet lullaby that brought a gentle sigh from her as she drifted back towards sleep.

Her eyes opened again as her senses awoke to a soft shuffling close by and this time her eyes sought the deep shadow beside the open doors.

"Who's there?" She cried out feebly.

Mac tried to rise but her body felt too weak, her limbs too heavy, and she felt her lips trembling from the fear of being so vulnerable and alone. Her eyes widened as a shadow detached from the wall... and then a smile curved her lips in welcome.

"Judson."

He stepped up to the side of her bed, looking down at her for a moment with a loving smile and then he moved around the bed to sink, gracefully, into the chair beside her. The moonlight struck his face as he leaned forward, bleaching his skin to an ivory paleness; his dark blond hair gleamed softly in contrast to the shine reflecting from his tear-dampened eyes.

"Hey," he whispered as he reached out to take her hand in his, smoothing his thumb over her paper-thin skin.

"I'm dying, Judson."

His handsome features collapsed into the pain of imminent loss as he clasped her hand a little tighter and a single tear tracked a silvery path down his cheek.

"I know."

He brought her hand to his soft lips and kissed it; she felt that single tear dampen her cool skin. Mac shivered and he released her hand long enough to draw the quilt up around her thin shoulders.

"Judson... I wish I had gone with you... when you asked."

"Ssh. No regrets."

"None?" Her eyes held his with as much strength as she could muster, needing the truth from him and watching as he bowed his head.

"I missed you too," she said quietly and then she squeezed his hand, wishing she could sit up and punch him on the shoulder for allowing them to get so maudlin.

He looked to the sky through the open doorway and she turned to see, realizing that it was far later than she had believed with dawn less an hour away. She turned her face back to stare into his, smiling warmly at the man she had fallen in love with what seemed a lifetime ago, knowing he had once asked her to go with him but she had refused. At the time it had seemed the right choice to make for, despite his affection, his love for her would never be as deep and strong as hers for him. She was his associate, his friend, his companion, and for one night, his lover... but not his eternal love. His heart would never truly belong to her even though she held a part of it. Yet in the dark hours before dawn she had often wondered if he might have learned to love her with equal intensity had she stayed with him.

Now it was her turn to ask him to stay.

"Will you stay with me... till dawn?"

He smiled regretfully. "I'll stay for as long as I can... but the ship sails on the turn of the tide... just before dawn."

Mac closed her eyes and gave a sad smile, wishing she could sail away with him one last time but knowing her final sleep drew near. She tightened her hold on his hand and sighed as she felt him brush the stray hair from her face with gentle fingers while he whispered soft reminiscences of times past. She laughed breathlessly as he recounted some of their daring adventures, reminding her of her love of the sea, and of guns. An image of Gabe flowed into her mind, of his wonderful smile and intelligent blue eyes, and that image was so strong that she reached out to take Gabe's hand, linking the three of them again for just one moment until she felt Judson's hand slip away from her; Gabe drew her away with him. She looked back once to see the moonlit room and the handsome man bowed over the empty shell of her body, seeing tears glistening as they rolled down his cheeks.

Her life with him had ended but, for a moment she wanted to stay, afraid that she might never see Judson again. Gabe placed an arm around her shoulders and drew her close, smiling sweetly at her in the way she remembered so vividly, and in his eyes she saw a promise that all three souls would meet again one day. She turned away from the weakened flesh and blood of her earthly body, moving beside Gabe with all the health, strength and vitality she recalled from the best years of her life on-board the Vast Explorer... moving away towards her awaiting destiny.

****

Judson bent over the frail body of the friend he had loved above all others, and yet still wishing that he could have loved her in all ways. He had sensed her spirit departing, smiling warmly for a moment as he felt another long-departed friend by her side.

Gabe.

He sniffed back the last of his tears, screwing his eyes closed as he forced himself to let go of this last hold on his former existence. Gently, Judson smoothed his hand through the thin, white hair and laid a kiss upon the seamed lips of the woman lying at peace on the bed beside him. Even in old age Mac had been beautiful to him for her spirit had remained just as full of life even when her body had started to fail her.

"Judson?"

He looked up to find Daniel Wainwright's pale and concerned face looking in through the balcony doors at him.

"The sun is close to rising and the tide has turned. We must go now or Blood will leave us behind."

"Let him."

Judson turned back to the old woman who had once been his closest friend, gently settling her hand onto the bed cover. As with Daniel before him, John Blood had given Judson no choice when he sought him out and made him one of his kind all those decades ago. For his own part, Judson no longer felt any regrets for, against all lore, he could still feel the warmth of the sun on his face even though it hurt to stay too long beneath its rays. Perhaps it was because, like Daniel, he had refused to partake of fresh human blood to sustain him preferring to live off of animal blood. However, as with Daniel, it made him weak compared to the former Baron Pembroke -- John Blood -- but it was a price he willingly paid rather than become a murderer especially as it meant he could still pursue his love for adventure.

"Please, Judson."

Judson heard the desperation in the other vampire's voice. He sighed, knowing that Daniel had less tolerance for sunlight due to the many times he had given into John Blood's determination to make him drink from a human over the years. However, there was more to that desperation than fear of sunlight, and nodded in acceptance of Daniel's need for him. His presence had given both Blood and Daniel a new path to follow, freeing them from mere existence in that decaying castle in England. Together they sailed the world, seeking priceless treasures and gaining sufficient remuneration to keep their lives safe, though the pirate in Blood would have preferred to exist on more than just sufficient to meet their needs. Still, Judson enjoyed sparring with Blood, exulting in those times when he managed to force the older, stronger vampire to put people before financial gain.

Leaning over, he kissed Mac one last time, grateful that he had been able to fulfill a personal desire not to let her die alone. Then he moved to the balcony faster than any ordinary human could manage and, clasping Daniel's hand, together they leaped towards the harbor path below and rushed away towards their ship, and to where their destiny still awaited.

THE END


End file.
